Playing for Keeps by Alexandria Bellefleur

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The details…

  • Title ‏ : ‎ Playing for Keeps
  • Author  :  Alexandria Bellefleur
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avon
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 6, 2026
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063258587
  • Available formats ‏ : ‎ ebook, hardcover, audiobook 
  • Digital file size ‏ : ‎ 4.7 MB
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 318 pages  
  • Audio ‏ : ‎ 10 hours and 18 minutes, narrated by Lauren Sweet
  • Genre ‏ : ‎ contemporary romantic comedy 
  • Themes ‏ : ‎ public and private image, vulnerability, falling in love, attraction, celebrities, publicity, managing publicity, the impact of social media
  • Tropes ‏ : ‎ forced proximity, workplace rivalry, and opposites-attract

The blurb from the publisher…

Lambda Literary Award winner and national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur returns with a steamy Sapphic rom-com about two rival publicists who are forced to work together when their mega-famous clients—a popstar and a quarterback—begin to date.

Poppy Peterson’s life is finally back on track and she’s thriving as the publicist of the NFL’s most promising quarterback (and her childhood best friend), Cash Curran. So, she doesn’t appreciate when he makes an impulsive and public pass at America’s popstar darling, Lyric Adair. When Lyric’s notorious publicist Rosaline Sinclair reaches out, Poppy is ready to face her wrath, but instead learns that Lyric is equally interested.

As Cash and Lyric embark on their ill-advised whirlwind romance, Poppy and Rosaline are forced together, each determined to protect their own client from the other. Poppy is frustrated by Rosaline’s cool demeanor, while at the same time, as a legend in the industry, she’s determined to impress her. But, no matter what she does, she can’t shake the feeling that Rosaline doesn’t like her.

That is until one steamy night, when the two women contend with their unexpected feelings and begin a messy romance of their own. But with paparazzi, tabloids, and stalker fans nipping at their heels, Poppy and Rosaline’s loyalties will be tested in ways they could never expect. 

A high energy, Sapphic, and deeply sexy romance, Playing for Keeps has everything readers expect from Alexandria Bellefleur and more!

My thoughts…

Contemporary romantic comedy looks effortless when it works. The banter snaps, the chemistry flares, and the ending is smile worthy. Beneath all that gloss and glow, however, lies careful architecture: escalating stakes, layered character arcs, and a resolution that feels earned rather than predictable. In Playing for Keeps, Alexandria Bellefleur builds her latest WLW rom-com on a premise primed for friction: two rival celebrity publicists forced to collaborate when their clients fall headlong into a very public romance.

In her newest release, Bellefleur employs the familiar classic tropes: forced proximity, workplace rivalry, and opposites-attract tension. Poppy Peterson represents a rising NFL quarterback. Rosaline Sinclair manages a pop superstar. When their clients’ whirlwind relationship ignites a media frenzy, the women tasked with protecting those reputations must work side by side. Using these familiar literary devices, Bellefleur establishes a solid narrative foundation right from the start.

It should surprise no one that this novel delivers. Bellefleur has a record of home run hits. She knows how to script winners. Her biggest draw is dialogue; she has a sharp ear for it. Here, the banter is absolutely delightful. Rhythmic and well paced, Poppy and Rosaline’s exchanges pulse with professional pride and simmering irritation, fueling deeply engaging sexual tension. When their attraction tips into intimacy and they can no longer resist each other, Bellefleur leans into it confidently. The result is a chemistry that feels magnetic. Poppy and Rosaline are easily the book’s most delightful component; equal parts addictive and charming, their back-and-forth is simply irresistible.

The emotional arc, however, feels somewhat rushed. Romantic comedy depends not only on spark but on escalation. Each complication should tighten the stakes, forcing characters to confront what they stand to lose. Playing for Keeps offers ample external conflict: paparazzi, tabloids, and social media commentary, each creating strong opportunities for tension to crescendo. Yet the internal progression moves faster than the emotional scaffolding can fully support. Though the chemistry is immediate and undeniably fun to watch, the deeper transformation, that shift that reveals honest, believable vulnerability, feels compressed. As a result, the emotional weight is softened, slightly diminishing the impact of both Poppy and Rosaline’s character growth. A strong romantic comedy requires a credible internal shift, a genuine journey of the heart that’s earned through friction and growth. It cannot simply rely on a speedy, neat hookup, fallout, and reunion.

The third act reveals these softer areas most clearly. Professional loyalty collides with personal desire, leading to a breakup. Readers expect publicists who build their careers on control to naturally struggle with surrendering it. The tension aligns with classic rom-com structure: conflict, separation, reunion. However, here, the emotional cost of Poppy and Rosaline choosing one another is not fully excavated. Because of this, the reunion feels warm and tender but not transformative. Additionally, the celebrity subplot occasionally competes with the Poppy and Rosaline’s romance, diluting the story’s emotional focus. Readers who prioritize structural precision will notice this. Those drawn primarily to charisma, chemistry, and wit will most likely find these shortcuts easy to forgive.

Final remarks….

In Playing for Keeps, Bellefleur demonstrates a clear kunderstanding of what makes a romantic comedy delightful. She delivers banter, heat, and a charming, root-worthy couple. Poppy and Rosaline’s character work may not be flawless, but their love story remains endearing and magnetic. Many readers will close the book smiling, reminded that sometimes charisma and chemistry are pleasures enough.

Strengths…

  • Charming love story
  • Likable characters 
  • Fun and entertaining 
  • Great vacation read

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A bit about the author…

Alexandria Bellefleur is an award-winning USA Today bestselling author of swoony contemporary romance often featuring loveable grumps and the sunshine characters who bring them to their knees. A Pacific Northwesterner at heart, Alexandria now lives in New York City with her cats, Mills and Boon. Her special skills include finding the best Pad Thai in every city she visits, remembering faces but not names, falling asleep in movie theaters, and keeping cool while reading smutty books in public. Her debut novel, Written in the Stars, was a 2021 Lambda Literary Award winner and a 2020 winner of The Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romantic Fiction. To learn more about Alexandria Bellefleur, check out her website. 

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